Thu 16.7.

Darmstadt based Artefakt has recently designed new door hardware lines for Jado and Dorma, which have proven to be enduring products in this otherwise fast-turnover, interchangeable product line.

Opening doors is an everyday action, and is usually performed without thinking. This quick manipulation requires a formal self-evidence in design. However, the design can also help make the opening and swinging of a door a more conscious experience. A good door handle must be self-explanatory and quintessential – it must be pleasant to the touch and rest ergonomically in the hand. Achim Pohl and Tomas Fiegl get to the heart of the matter: “Products designed to be gripped generally have a strong, inherent demand on tactile and even visual feel. The material, in combination with the shaping, plays a decisive role in this.”

Jado Loop with neutral inlay

The design of the door handle Loop, reminiscent of a teardrop, concentrates on the two essential features of a door handle: pivot function and handling. The formal symbiosis of circular disc and handle piece uniquely characterizes this product and lends it high recognition value. As an additional feature, the circular disc can be embossed with an individual design – such as a company logo or a room number.

Door hardware is always a part of a whole. It finds its identity only in combination with the door, which in turn is only perceived in the context of the room, which in turn is just one aspect of the building architecture. The design of door hardware should therefore fit perfectly into future architectures, and not try to steal the spotlight.

Jado ID-9

ID-9 is a part of a whole architectural plan; its design assumes its intended position and does not force its way into the foreground. The segmentation of pivot and grip is the design feature that defines its identity and expresses the product’s character.